My name is Renee Koval-Huenuqueo. I am the Rise Above Plastics (RAP) Coordinator for the Gray’s Harbor Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation. I was born, raised, educated, I worked, raised a family and retired here, in the Pacific Northwest. I’ve long been worried about the welfare of our planet, and I am happy to have found the Surfrider Foundation which provides a way I can participate in taking care of our environment.
The end of 2024 is fast approaching, bringing with it the end of the first year of the Grays Harbor Surfrider Chapter. We’ve had many accomplishments since we first introduced ourselves last February. Forty-seven people attended our rousing launch party at the Oyhut Grill in Ocean Shores, many who wanted to learn what we were about and many who were already familiar with Surfrider and wanted to be part of our powerful activist network to ensure the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean, waves, and beaches, for all people.
Throughout this first year, we’ve had over 150 volunteers come out and help with some great accomplishments! We sponsored and co-sponsored three major beach cleanups in Ocean Shores, held bi-monthly meetings open to the public with informative speakers on subjects such as beach debris and recycling, and we met more Friends of the Ocean at our tables at many local public events. We shepherded two local restaurants into our Ocean Friendly Restaurant program, Rediviva in Aberdeen and the Wondering Goose attached to the historic Tokeland Hotel, which is now an Ocean Friendly Hotel! And this year, we welcomed 25 members into our new chapter. The monetary gifts donated by our members directly supports our chapter and helps us buy supplies for beach cleanups and other valuable programs. Become a member today!
Our bi-monthly chapter meetings start again in February 2025. We will meet on a new day and location; the first Thursday from 5:30pm to 7pm at the Ocean Shores Library every other month (February, April, June, August, and October).You can stay informed of upcoming meetings and events by checking monthly events page.
Our Excutive Board has been learning and settling into our roles. What brought me to the position of Rise Above Plastics (RAP) coordinator was my overwhelming concern about the amount of plastic that is carelessly dumped into our oceans and washing up onto our beaches, blemishing what makes our coastal lives so special. Throughout the year I’ve worked to educate myself about plastic pollution, and learned there is a myriad of issues surrounding this harmful material that appears to be so indispensable. I was alarmed to realize how deep these issues go. Not only does it endanger wildlife in their natural environment, but it has debilitating effects on human health. We’re all aware that rates of obesity, diabetes, and infertility have been climbing for years, but now research is demonstrating that these health issues are linked to the micro and nano plastics that we’ve unknowingly been ingesting. This is why I’ve been working to reduce the amount of single-use plastic in my home and hoping that my journey will inspire others to undertake one as well. Reducing single-use plastic can seem like a herculean task, especially considering how pervasive the amount of it is already in our environment, and sadly, that amount it still is growing.
However, a couple of things give me hope. One is that news outlets such as newspaper articles, investigative reports and documentaries have been bringing this problem to public attention.There have been some suggestions to reclassify plastic as a hazardous waste, which would put stricter regulations on disposal. But more importantly is that people really do care. In the short time that I’ve been writing these blogs and discussing these issues, a couple of acquaintances have told me they’ve been working to reduce plastic from their lives. In fact, one friend whom I regularly shop with, surprised me one day by pulling out a bundle of light, reusable bags rather than grabbing plastic produce bags from the rolls supplied by the store as had been her habit.(By the way, I recently saw that the Market Place in Aberdeen has these available for a very reasonable price. Although labeled specifically for dry goods, they also accommodate produce.) Another time, a professional acquaintance mentioned to me that my casual conversations convinced her to reduce the use of plastics in her home. This clearly demonstrates that when we talk about these issues, we can have profound effects on others.
As we enter 2025, let’s use this time to make resolutions to protect our health and our planet by cutting down on single use plastic. Start with the easy alternatives; please don’t buy water in plastic bottles. Not only are bottles one of the leading causes of pollution in our oceans and on our beaches, but the water contains more nano plastics than tap water. And, of course, always bring your own bag to the grocery store. If you already do this, look around at your personal plastic usage and see what other swaps you can make. Try a shampoo bar. I found some nice ones at the Market Place for half the price of the ones I was buying online. Can you omit plastic wrapping film when storing your food? I store my food in glass bowls, silicone bags, and beeswax wrappers. I also use paper sandwich bags which I found at the Sunset Pharmacy in Ocean Shores. It’s been about a year and a half that I haven’t bought another roll of plastic wrap! If you would like further suggestions, check out 51 ways to reduce plastic.
The plastic reduction resolutions I’m making this year are to try out chewable toothpaste tablets, and to put together an “eating out” kit of tin boxes and washable cutlery for those times I find myself at deli counters where only plastic containers and cutlery are available. A final resolution that I am going to make, and that I encourage you all to take on is this: In 2025 the Surfrider Foundation will continue our fight to pass the Extended Producer Responsibility Law that will control and reduce the use of plastic in Washington State by overhauling our broken recycling system and make plastic producers take responsibility for the full life cycle of the products they create and distribute. Let’s all not only be informed about the details of this legislation, but also show strong support by contacting our representatives and even joining organized events to support it. There was such an attempt made last year that I’m so sorry I didn’t attend because I didn’t learn about it in time. I pledge not to make the same mistake in 2025. This will be especially important now as the current atmosphere may make it extremely difficult to bring about these needed changes. I hope you will join us in 2025 and continue to make a difference in protecting the ocean and beaches of Grays Harbor. I look forward to seeing you at our events!